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Hello Creatives, Jay here. Personal opinions are abundant below, but only because I’m so proud of my friends and colleagues.

Earlier this week, the nominations for the Community Radio Awards 2016 were announced, and my community radio station Spark FM has received 11 nominations, across 9 of the 16 different categories.

One of those nominations, “Arts & Creative Radio of the Year“, is for one of my projects, ArtyParti, a weekly radio show on Spark FM which “celebrates participatory arts in the north east”. (You can take a listen below:)

Hello Creatives, Jay here. Personal opinions are abundant below, but only because I’m so proud of my friends and colleagues.

Earlier this week, the nominations for the Community Radio Awards 2016 were announced, and my community radio station Spark FM has received 11 nominations, across 9 different categories.

This will be the first of a few posts, but I wanted to publicly congratulate close friend of 99% Perspiration, Rute Correia. Regular listeners to the podcast will remember Rute from episode 18, where she shared her multiple pursuits alongside her MA degree. “The limit is always the one you set yourself. Sometimes things take a long time, and you have to be so persistent… Even if you put it on hold for a while, if you really love it, don’t be afraid of going for it. Don’t stop.”

Rute Correia – MA RadioNominated for “Innovation Award of the Year”

“I’ve been producing White Market for 8 years now, since starting the podcast in my hometown Lisbon in Portugal. While I have accomplished other achievements along the way, this is definitely one of the highlights of White Market Podcast’s activity.

“White Market is a show about free music and free culture. It has a profound community-oriented ethos, and it’s set on a commitment to digital rights and freedom. Given its nature, the project can never go commercial, but it fills a gap often forgot; it brings free access to culture. And very often that’s the mission of community radio; to empower communities with the tools they need to stride. In a time of endless financial cuts, it seems like culture is often the place to start slashing, but culture and education are the main tools of development, so I am hoping White Market Podcast can provide both in a free and accessible manner.

“I am rather proud and excited about this nomination! Being shortlisted is already a victory, but I’m crossing all my fingers to bring home something more.”

Regular listeners to the 99% Perspiration Podcast may remember Alan Parkinson from episode 16 of season 1. For some reason, the self-published novel writer (who’s working on fine-editing his third release Counterbalance) wants to offset his karma – we won’t ask why, but we will happily share his advice for emerging writers hoping to turn over a new leaf like Alan.

Plotting and Planning

I approached the writing of Leg It in the same way a drunk approaches a kebab shop. I ended up with the equivalent of a Bolognese Pizza, a Doner Kebab with chilli sauce and a carton of cheesy chips. Far more than I needed, some that inevitably ended up on the floor, some that survived and was reheated the next day but a large chunk that went straight in the bin.

It’s about 6:15pm on Monday January 6th, 2014; the first day of my work experience placement with the Total Sportteam at BBC Newcastle.

I’m sat in the broom cupboard-sized phone-in booth, alongside Vicki, the show’s producer. There’s four computer screens crammed on to one work bench, which barely has room for two people.

As any football fan knows, January means the mid-season transfer window is open. That makes it the perfect time to go on work experience with a sportsdesk, particularly one that covers two high profile, well-supported clubs in Newcastle and Sunderland.

In January, rumours are always swirling around about which clubs might sign whom and inevitably on a daily football phone-in, those rumours, truthful or not, will be discussed.

The show’s presenter, Simon Pryde, is talking about just that; speculation in the local papers that Sunderland are after two Brighton players. One problem, only Liam Bridcutt’s name springs to his mind.

Straightaway, I press the red switch on the talkback mic into the studio and excitedly shout “Will Buckley” into Prydey’s headphones.

“Will Buckley, of course,” he exclaims. And the show carries on as normal.

Now I must confess, the title of this post is slightly misleading. That one small incident didn’t really get me my first job in radio. Knowing Will Buckley’s name isn’t something listed on the BBC Careers Hub competencies for a broadcast assistant’s job.

“People have a perception of you as an artist being fluffy-headed, a bit weird and a bit off the wall. It’s as if you can’t be an artist and be a very good project manager, or a very good business person.

“I think I can do all of those things, and I apply my creative ability to every one of those things.”

Artist, illustrator, and Founder and Creative Director of Shoo Fly Publishing. And not afraid to tell it like it is. Trust us.